Subaru made its first foray into the U.S. market in the late '60s, and now, it's celebrating that momentous occasion with a slew of special edition models. Introduced in a blitz of debuts at the 2018 Chicago Auto Show, the six-star brand is calling it the 50th Anniversary Edition, and it includes revamped iterations of just about every model in the lineup. Chief among these is the rip-snortin', extra-wing-havin', hood-scoop wearin' WRX STI, the quickest of Subaru's lineup, which gets new exterior paint, a unique wheel finish, and new badges to mark half a century of the Six Stars in the States.
Continue reading to learn more about what makes the Subaru WRX STI 50th Anniversary Edition special.
2018 Subaru WRX STI 50th Anniversary Edition
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- Model: 2018 Subaru WRX STI 50th Anniversary Edition
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What Makes The Subaru WRX STI 50th Anniversary Edition Special
Back in 1968, Subaru agreed to sell U.S. audiences the 360 microcar. With 16 horsepower and a curb weight under 1,000 pounds, it was a tiny start to what would grow to be a major market for the brand. These days, Subaru is doing quite well for itself, so it makes sense for the brand to eke out a few more sales by throwing together a few special edition models. And what better excuse than the company's 50th anniversary in the U.S. market?
To that end, the most performance-oriented model in Subaru's lineup, the WRX STI, gets a few tasty upgrades to help up its curb appeal. Kicking it off is a “Heritage Blue” exterior paint color, which we have to admit looks pretty dang good on the 'ole Rex. The hue is a bit lighter than the traditional World Rally Blue you frequently see on the STI, and it does well to compliment the rally sedan's naturally aggressive demeanor.
In the corners, the WRX STI's factory-equipped multi-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels get a unique silver finish, which, once again, looks quite good, especially with those large, bright yellow-painted brake calipers hiding underneath. Finally, the requisite 50th Anniversary badges are added here and there to remind all onlookers of what they are looking at.
Like each of the 50th Anniversary editions, this limited-run WRX STI is offered in the top Limited trim level, which tosses in leather upholstery, Recaro performance seats, a power-tilt/sliding moonroof, GPS navigation, and keyless entry.
Unfortunately, the mechanical specs go unchanged with this latest limited edition run. As a reminder, the Subaru WRX STI comes equipped with turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four engine producing 305 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. Output is routed through a six-speed manual transmission and hits the ground through a standard symmetrical AWD system. The sprint to 60 mph takes about 5 seconds flat, while top speed is rated at around 160 mph.
Subaru is also offering 50th Anniversary editions for the Crosstrek, the Forester, the Impreza, the Legacy, the Outback, the BRZ, and the standard WRX. The 50th Anniversary editions for each of the first five of those models will be limited at 1,050 examples each, while the BRZ will be limited at 250 units and the standard WRX will be limited at 600 units. The WRX STI 50th Anniversary edition will be limited at 200 units, making it arguably the rarest new WRX on the market today.
Pricing for the Subaru WRX STI 50th Anniversary Edition starts at $42,055. That ain't cheap, but considering the popularity of the top-dog Scooby, we wouldn't be surprised to see each example spoken for very soon.
References
Read our full review on the 2018 Subaru WRX STI.
Read our full review on the 2018 Subaru WRX.
Read more Chicago Auto Show news.
Read more Subaru news.